AN OUTBREAK of swine flu among eight south London schoolchildren and a teacher has affected a Hindhead adventure centre they visited.

The children, in Year Six at Immanuel and St Andrew Church of England Primary School in Streatham, were diagnosed with the bug after spending two days at Marchants Hill Educational Centre last week.

The Health Protection Agency confirmed the school was staying open and that the children were being treated at home.

PGL, which organised the trip, said in a statement that the only member of their staff to come into contact with the party was the team leader, who had been given anti-viral drugs as a precaution and asked to stay at home for the week.

The 40-acre centre will not be closing, the statement added, and no other staff or guests were showing symptoms of the disease.

Twenty-nine children and three teachers travelled to the Hindhead activity centre last Friday, and reported feeling ill on their last evening there.

Dr Ruth Wallis, director of public health for Lambeth, confirmed the children and the teacher had tested positive for swine flu.

She added: “The children reported flu-like symptoms while on a trip away from school. They and the teacher affected are receiving anti-viral treatment, and will stay at home until they have fully recovered.

“The school has not been advised to close, as none of the pupils attended while symptomatic. The other people on the trip, plus other close contacts of the patients with swine flu are being offered anti-viral treatment as a preventative measure.”

PGL, which stands for Parents Get Lost, provides activity courses and holidays for seven to 17-year-olds at 25 centres across the UK, France and Spain.